Quote of the Day
“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.”‐ Frank Lloyd Wright
“प्रकृति का अध्ययन करें, प्रकृति से प्रेम करें, प्रकृति के सान्निध्य में रहें। यह आपको कभी हताश नहीं करेगी।”‐ फ्रैंक लॉयड राइट
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
The Ability to be Outraged
What happens when you react in a fit of anger? Confucius advised, “When anger arises, think of the consequences,” and much the same has been retold in different words. The problem is that when we get enraged, we rarely think, we just react. Acting in anger can be injurious not only to health but might impact others adversely as well. However, the presumption that anger necessarily is something to be apologetic about needs to be questioned. Equally, anger per se is not welcome, and rage — depending on how it is manifested — may be counterproductive. But a complete inability to get angry at anything is not necessarily a sign of having attained nirvana; it often is a sign of nothing more profound than being passive or disinterested. Is it advisable to remain indifferent, not reacting to anything? Sometimes, it is our sense of outrage that reveals to us what really matters to us. Anger clouds thinking. However, there are times when the heart rules the mind — and this is not always all that bad. The heart sets the agenda for our lives and the mind is but an instrument to realise that agenda; therefore, thought has its limitations. Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita that passion, fear and rage need to be transcended. Yet, he also goads a reluctant Arjuna to stand up and fight a battle that represents right against wrong. The concept of battling injustice revolves around the presumption that we are driven to outrage at what is not fair. If we are not upset with things going wrong, what will impel us to set them right?
Source: Economic Times, 21/08/2019
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Data is wealth. India must protect it
Our data bill, carrying European-style protections and penalties, is a step in the right direction
Data is the oil of today’s digital age, in which every individual, through Internet activity, leaves a footprint of personal information, which is controlled by others. In fact, just like oil in the past century, data is now the most valuable resource in the world — an engine of growth and change. Akin to uranium, data is a game changer. But like oil or uranium, data must be processed to create something of value.
How data is processed and stored carries major implications for national and international security. Hacking and theft of critical data is central to cyber-espionage.
The global “data economy” is dominated by a few tech titans like Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft. These giants vacuum up vast troves of data that help build a digital profile of every individual, including the person’s preferences, foibles and secrets. Data collection can reveal as much about a person as government surveillance, if not more.
Today’s “data brokers” are financially incentivised to collect and monetise personal data of people all over the world. The collected data, however, is used not just for business purposes. Nor does it stay in the private sector alone. Thanks to Edward Snowden and other revelations, we know that the United States government employs several tools to acquire data from the Internet giants. And through its National Security Agency, it directly accesses the systems of Google, Facebook, Apple and others. America’s massive databases arm it with an Orwellian capacity to track digital footprints and personal information of individuals, both Americans and those overseas, including decision-makers. In fact, the 2015 US Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act has essentially legalised all forms of government and corporate spying. This serves as a reminder that the Internet, although a major boon that we cannot live without, facilitates surveillance.
It is paradoxical that those in India who raised a hullabaloo about how the digital-identity Aadhaar system threatens privacy, are mute on the larger and more fundamental issue — the monopolistic control of the most powerful tech companies on the data of all, including Indians. It is as if they believe that Aadhaar, aimed at turning parts of India’s data economy into public infrastructure for doling out subsidies and deterring fake identities, is more dangerous than the expansive data vaults of the global tech giants.
There has been little debate in India on the government’s Personal Data Protection Bill, which seeks to take data back from the global behemoths by granting Indians protection rights and mandating local storage. Not surprisingly, the bill has come under withering attack from the giants and the US government, which is wielding the threat of a Section 301 investigation against India on this and other trade-related issues.
A handful of companies’ data hegemony is raising security concerns not just in India. Many Americans, concerned about unchecked privacy intrusions, are calling for guardrails to data. Europe’s 2018 General Data Protection Regulation enforces tough data privacy rules. Google has faced huge fines in Europe for abusing its data power. France recently imposed a 3% tax on digital transactions, and Italy is following suit. If India and other countries emulated their example, billions of dollars could shift from US tech companies to local economies.
Let’s face it: The Internet is not a competitive, free-market place but an oligopoly, with Google dominating search, Apple and Google controlling mobile, Facebook ruling the social media and Amazon dominating e-commerce. Worse still, these behemoths are relatively opaque when it comes to data collection and retention policies. Their data collection is no less intrusive than government surveillance.
Against this background, India’s data bill, carrying European-style protections and penalties for data privacy breaches, is a step in the right direction. After India’s Supreme Court held that privacy is a fundamental right, the Srikrishna Committee helped draft this bill. Unfortunately, the government, while getting a record 28 new bills passed in Parliament’s recently-concluded session, held back the long-pending data bill to consider changes that could satisfy the US. The bill’s dilution could seriously hobble its purpose.
By opposing India’s move to localise data storage, the tech giants wish to remain unfettered to collect and utilise data opaquely. Their message to India is “trust us”. But as Ronald Reagan said, “Trust, but verify”. A few extraordinarily powerful corporations, with oligopolistic control of sensitive data and US government backing, should not be allowed to influence the provisions of Indian legislation.
Requiring multinational corporations to respect privacy and to store data locally is not about limiting their ability to make money. It is about shielding data through legislative protections that compel these firms to correct their practices. India must seek to loosen their grip over data by mandating greater transparency and imposing limitations on the processing and sharing of personal and sensitive data.
Make no mistake: Like European colonialism in the past three centuries, data imperialism could have serious, lasting consequences.
Source: Hindustan Times, 19/08/2019
Stay Calm and Cool
Even a little change in routine disturbs us — it could be illness, a stalled promotion, or absentee domestic help. It is easy to be calm when things run according to schedule, but when things go haywire, our mental equilibrium is shaken. The weak ones are driven to self-destruction while strong personalities remain even-minded and emerge successful. The little Prince proved he was made of stronger mettle. Krishna recited the Bhagwad Gita to warrior-prince Arjuna in Kurukshetra and explained to him the importance of being calm in all circumstances. Swami Ranganathananda explained that this is only a very external part of that wonderful term, stithaprajna, person of equanimity. The essential meaning is being deeply thoughtful. Blind attachment, fear and anger are three emotions that cause us to get caught in the karmic cycle of life. There is no escaping this cycle till we become stithaprajna and are freed from ‘raga, bhaya and krodha’. We get emotionally attached to things, people and circumstances, and any disturbance in the object of our attachment destroys our mental peace. Fear of past, present and future compromises our personality forever. We are unable to think and act calmly in the present. Fear disables one, preventing one from leading a normal life. One must be afraid of crossing a busy road, of venturing out alone at night in an unknown place. That is rational fear. Irrational fear must be avoided as it makes people weak morally. “Fearlessness is virtue. Fear is a sin,” said Swami Vivekananda
Economic Times, 20/08/2019
Monday, August 19, 2019
Economic & Political Weekly: Table of Contents
Vol. 54, Issue No. 33, 17 Aug, 2019
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